CB BureauAbout 22 alternate energy companies have been shortlisted to set
up solar energy-based power plants in India by NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd, a
unit of state-run power utility NTPC Ltd. NTPC is entrusted to award the projects.
France’s Fonroche Energy and
Solairedirect Group are among the selected bidders.
These companies will help in completion of the first phase
of India’s solar mission. In several phases, the companies will be responsible
for achieving a target of generating 20 giga watts (GW) of solar energy and will supplement thermal, hydroelectric and nuclear energy sources.
To begin with, the shortlisted companies will be given 28
solar power projects ranging from 5 mega watts (MW) to 50 MW by the end of this
month.
The companies shortlisted to allot bigger projects include
Welspun Solar, Azure Power India Pvt. Ltd, Green Infra Ltd, and Kiran Energy
Solar Power Pvt. Ltd. Others to get comparatively smaller projects include KSK
Energy Ventures Ltd’s unit VS Lignite Power Pvt. Ltd, Sujana Towers Ltd,
Mahindra Group’s joint venture Mahindra Solar One and Essel Group’s Essel
Infraprojects Ltd.
Projects awarded in the two rounds of the first phase need
to start producing electricity by March 2013.